Molding and anchoring physically constrained virtual environments to real-world environments

TL;DR: Anchored environments as discussed by the authors generate a physically constrained virtual environment that is molded and anchored to a real-world environment around a user (or multiple users) so that at least a portion of the physical environment matches tactile truth for one or more surfaces and objects within the real world environment.

Abstract: An “Anchored Environment Generator” generates a physically constrained virtual environment that is molded and anchored to a real-world environment around a user (or multiple users). This molding and anchoring of the physically constrained virtual environment ensures that at least a portion of the physically constrained virtual environment matches tactile truth for one or more surfaces and objects within the real-world environment. Real objects and surfaces in the real-world environment may appear as different virtual objects, and may have different functionality, in the physically constrained virtual environment. Consequently, users may move around within the physically constrained virtual environment while touching and interacting with virtual objects in the physically constrained virtual environment. In some implementations, the physically constrained virtual environment is constructed from virtual building blocks that are consistent with a theme-based specification (e.g., French bistro, space station, starship, alternate real-world environments, alien world, apocalyptic wasteland, medieval village, hospital, castle, etc.).